McCune, after reading each man’s arrest report, set bail for Vazquez-Suarez at $240,000, for Rodriguez-Suarez at $125,000 and for Apolinar at $150,000.

Vazquez-Suarez and Apolinar have criminal convictions; Rodriguez-Suarez has no prior record. Each man was appointed a public defender. If they post bond, none of them is to leave Marion County, McCune said.

Agents with the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team said they obtained a search warrant for the home at 22233 SW Edgewater Blvd. after getting information about it possibly being a grow house. Agents executed the warrant Thursday and found Apolinar and Rodriguez-Suarez inside. They saw Vazquez-Suarez leaving in a red Ford pickup.

Officials went after Vazquez-Suarez and stopped him. While they were talking with him, he took off in the truck and later crashed the vehicle in a wooded area, according to reports. He got out and ran but was captured by an agent.

Inside the home, agents recovered 219 marijuana plants weighing 120 pounds and 268 grams of processed marijuana. Officials estimated each plant was worth about $1,000. They also found items used to grow marijuana.

Apolinar and Rodriguez-Suarez both were charged with trafficking marijuana.

On Friday, outside the courtroom at the jail, Vazquez-Suarez, who faces several charges, including trafficking marijuana and lease/rent/obtain property for manufacturing marijuana, sat with the other two men on an aluminum bench. They talked with a Star-Banner reporter, with Vazquez-Suarez translating.

Vazquez-Suarez said his cousin was growing the marijuana to “make money,” but denied knowing his cousin was growing marijuana in the home. Vazquez-Suarez said he purchased the house around eight months ago using a fake name.

Rodriguez-Suarez, speaking through his cousin, said it was his first time growing marijuana. He declined to say how much money he was going to sell the plants for.

Apolinar, also speaking through Vazquez-Suarez, said he didn’t know anything about the marijuana and was just visiting his friend Rodriguez-Suarez when drug agents arrived.

Vazquez-Suarez said he was at the home to collect rent when the agents arrived. He said he was scared and drove away because he is on probation in Miami for using a fraudulent name.

<p>Three men were arrested Thursday after a large amount of marijuana was found inside a Dunnellon home made their first appearance Friday in front of a judge via video link from the Marion County Jail.</p><p>Junior Vazquez-Suarez, 39; his cousin Victor M. Rodriguez-Suarez, 28; and their friend, Arturo Apolinar, 58; spoke with Judge Jim McCune through interpreter Holly Reed.</p><p>McCune, after reading each man's arrest report, set bail for Vazquez-Suarez at $240,000, for Rodriguez-Suarez at $125,000 and for Apolinar at $150,000.</p><p>Vazquez-Suarez and Apolinar have criminal convictions; Rodriguez-Suarez has no prior record. Each man was appointed a public defender. If they post bond, none of them is to leave Marion County, McCune said.</p><p>Agents with the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team said they obtained a search warrant for the home at 22233 SW Edgewater Blvd. after getting information about it possibly being a grow house. Agents executed the warrant Thursday and found Apolinar and Rodriguez-Suarez inside. They saw Vazquez-Suarez leaving in a red Ford pickup.</p><p>Officials went after Vazquez-Suarez and stopped him. While they were talking with him, he took off in the truck and later crashed the vehicle in a wooded area, according to reports. He got out and ran but was captured by an agent.</p><p>Inside the home, agents recovered 219 marijuana plants weighing 120 pounds and 268 grams of processed marijuana. Officials estimated each plant was worth about $1,000. They also found items used to grow marijuana.</p><p>Apolinar and Rodriguez-Suarez both were charged with trafficking marijuana.</p><p>On Friday, outside the courtroom at the jail, Vazquez-Suarez, who faces several charges, including trafficking marijuana and lease/rent/obtain property for manufacturing marijuana, sat with the other two men on an aluminum bench. They talked with a Star-Banner reporter, with Vazquez-Suarez translating.</p><p>Vazquez-Suarez said his cousin was growing the marijuana to “make money,” but denied knowing his cousin was growing marijuana in the home. Vazquez-Suarez said he purchased the house around eight months ago using a fake name.</p><p>Rodriguez-Suarez, speaking through his cousin, said it was his first time growing marijuana. He declined to say how much money he was going to sell the plants for.</p><p>Apolinar, also speaking through Vazquez-Suarez, said he didn't know anything about the marijuana and was just visiting his friend Rodriguez-Suarez when drug agents arrived.</p><p>Vazquez-Suarez said he was at the home to collect rent when the agents arrived. He said he was scared and drove away because he is on probation in Miami for using a fraudulent name.</p><p>All three men previously lived in Miami and are originally from Cuba.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>